Recuva vs Qiling Deep Data Recovery for Deleted Windows Files

Recuva is a familiar Windows undelete utility; Qiling Deep Data Recovery is a mode-led recovery tool for several loss situations. If a file was just deleted from a healthy drive, start with the simplest scan. If formatting or file-system damage is involved, assess what each tool can actually find and preview before changing the disk.

Where the tools differ

Recuva's vendor notes that its deep scan may identify file contents without retaining original filenames. That is important if you need to recover a large folder with its original structure. A longer scan is not automatically a better outcome; inspect the resulting files.

When should you try a deep scan?

Use a deeper scan after the basic scan fails to find a needed file, especially on an older HDD or formatted removable drive. Stop first if the drive is making unusual sounds or disconnecting. On SSDs, TRIM may make deleted data unavailable even when a scan completes successfully.

Do not install either recovery program on the affected drive if you can avoid it. Never save restored files back to that drive while recovery is in progress.

How to check your files with Qiling

• Free Download
• Windows 11/10/8/7, 100% Secure

Step 1. Launch Qiling and choose Fast Scan for recent deletion. If the drive was formatted, choose Format Scan instead. Do not select a mode solely because it sounds more powerful.

Step 2. Select the volume that originally held the file and click Scan. Check its drive letter and capacity, particularly when several external drives are connected.

Step 3. Browse the results and preview sample files. If the initial results do not contain what you need, try the available Deep Scan control without saving anything to the source drive.

Step 4. Select files that appear intact, click Recover, and choose a different physical disk. Open the saved files to confirm their contents.

A practical choice

For a few recently deleted files, Recuva's simple wizard can be a reasonable first check. If you need a mode tailored to a formatted drive or want to compare another set of scan results, try Qiling. Neither tool can recover overwritten data, and a file appearing in results is not proof of a successful restore.

Related Articles

• Recuva Review
  Review Recuva's normal and deep-scan options.
• Recuva Alternatives
  Compare additional tools for Windows file recovery.

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